The City of Gaithersburg invites young children to roll around the Skate Park, located at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, for an exciting morning of endless motion. Preschoolers from ages two to six will be allowed to play on the lower ramps of the Skate Park with scooters, Big Wheels, and just about anything else that can roll on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is $3 per resident child and $5 for nonresidents. Parents are welcome to watch for free.

In addition to rolling and scooting, children can check out a real fire engine or bulldozer. There will also be snow cones for your enjoyment.

    Vendor registration begins March 31 for residents and April 7 for nonresidents for the ever-popular City of Gaithersburg Spring Baby Bazaar and Spring Flea Market.  Both will be held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, located at 16 Chestnut Street, Gaithersburg.

The outdoor Baby Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, May 17 while the outdoor Flea Market is set for Saturday, June 21, 2008.  Both events will be held from 8 a.m. to Noon, rain or shine. Admission to the public is free.

The City is currently seeking vendors to sell gently-used or new baby and children's merchandise for the Bazaar and gently used or new clothing, household items, collectibles and more for the Flea Market.  The resident cost is $20 for those selling used merchandise and $25 for those selling new merchandise. The nonresident cost is $25 for those selling used merchandise and $30 for those selling new merchandise.

At the Mayor and Council meeting on Monday, April 7, 2008, Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz and Acting City Manager James Arnoult presented the Employee of the Quarter Awards for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2008 to Jerry Pryor, Department of Public Works, Parks Maintenance & Engineering and Officer Isabel Salgado and Officer Jonathan Bennett, Police Department, and the Team of the Quarter Awards to the Beautification Awards Team and the Fleet Maintenance Team.

The City’s Employee Recognition Committee, made up of peers from each department, reviews nominations for Employee and/or Team of the Quarter. The Recognition Program guidelines provide that a maximum of two individual and two team awards may be presented in each quarter. This quarter there were three individual awards due to an unprecedented tie. The winners are then entered into nomination for the annual Employee and Team of the Year Awards.

Jerry Pryor, Maintenance Worker, Department of Public Works, Parks Maintenance & Engineering, was nominated for his exceptional performance on an ongoing basis. Jerry has been employed with the City for 10 years and has shown consistent service, is very dependable, and has always been willing to stay late to assist with last minute assignments. He is the type of worker who loves to be at work every day, enjoys spending time with his co-workers, knows his job and takes pride in the finished product. This award is for his continuous service and dedication to the City and his co-workers and for his efforts in making Gaithersburg look great.

Isabel Salgado, Police Officer II, Police Department was nominated for receiving three commendation letters for her outstanding work and dedication during this quarter. She consistently performs above and beyond her normal duties to assist with investigating crimes. Officer Salgado assisted the Gaithersburg Investigative Section with interviewing a child predator. Her translation and assistance resulted in a dangerous child molester being arrested. She was also commended by The Foundation School for her professional police service in dealing with troubled students and their severe aggressiveness. Finally, Officer Salgado was commended by a City resident for going beyond the call of duty and assisting her with resolving an issue with potential identity theft. Officer Salgado often volunteers for assignments and always goes beyond what is required to ensure the citizens of Gaithersburg receive quality police service. This quarter is just a continuing example of her hard work and dedication.

Jonathan Bennett, Police Officer II, Police Department was nominated for the exemplary manner in which he represented the City and the Police Department during his participation in the 2007 Holiday Task Force. This Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional effort that focuses mainly upon protecting our streets and citizens from the dangers posed by alcohol-related driving offenses during the holiday season. Officer Bennett’s dedication and hard work during his assignment contributed to a record number of 344 task force arrests for alcohol-related driving offenses during the effort’s eight week duration. Officer Bennett was personally responsible for a total of 48 of these arrests, which is an individual task force record. During this same period of time, Officer Bennett did not restrict his activities to alcohol offenses alone. He made an additional nine criminal arrests and handled 49 other calls for police service. His exemplary performance and consistent positive contributions serve to motivate his peers, foster an atmosphere of cooperation and team policing, and prove him to be an asset to the Department, the City, and the law enforcement profession.

The Beautification Awards Team, which includes Maria Fullerton and Patty Woodruff, Planning & Code Administration, was nominated for their exceptional performance hosting the Beautification Awards ceremony and reception. In 2007 the City recognized outstanding accomplishment in commercial and residential landscaping through the Beautification Awards program. The budget for the 2007 awards ceremony was significantly reduced, but this team embraced the challenge, making the decision to cater the reception, from shopping to clean up, for the 60 guests themselves. It’s the "can do" and "will do" attitude of these employees that made this event special for all the award winners.

The Fleet Maintenance Team which includes Dan Horton, Henry Kessler, Raymond Stream, Scotty Testerman and Keith Vogel, Public Works, Parks Maintenance & Engineering, was nominated for their excellent work on an ongoing basis. This team maintains the City’s fleet of approximately 174 vehicles plus all the equipment used on job sites such as mowers, weedeaters, rollers, and ground rakes. They are on a continuous deadline to have Police and Public Works vehicles ready at all times. Throughout the year, no matter what the season, this team keeps all of the equipment and trucks ready so City employees can get the job done and keep the City looking great.